Tag: aloha

This photo tells the story of island driving. There are surprise lane closures – for trimming back the overgrown foliage- that then cause backups. Then there is the motorcyclist who is ready for a long road trip in the Pacific NW with leather jacket, pants, and boots, plus several carriers. It took me a moment to realize the hilarity of the scene. Where was he going? Why was he dressed in all leather? He looked like he was ready for a cross country trip.

Contrast that with a story from earlier this week – a young man, who was driving a scooter, was killed when his buddy, who was also driving a scooter, stopped for a pedestrian. He wasn’t paying attention or was going too fast and slammed into his friend and flipped over his handlebars and died from head trauma – no helmet.

The most amazing thing I have seen while driving here was yesterday. I was driving home after going to the farmers market at the Windward Mall in Kaneohe. A fire truck was coming up behind me as I sat at a traffic light – the turn lane was full, the two lanes of traffic were full and there was an island in the median strip. As the fire truck came closer all of the cars began to crawl to this side and that side, but that wasn’t enough to make room for the fire truck. The miracle happened when two cars went into the intersection, slowly and cautiously, through a red light. You heard me right, people here know what to do in that kind of situation.

In Seattle I have sat in dismay more than once when I see drivers who don’t know what to do when a service vehicle comes up behind them.

I was stunned when I saw those cars pull into the intersection. Could Hawaii have better drivers than Seattle?

Lastly, did I tell you how much I love the Shaka?

Getting Shaka’d when you let someone enter your lane is like a synergistic event. In Hawaii there is aloha in driving. You just need to be open to it.

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Recent Posts: 90-days in paradise

Today I give thanks to this happy couple. My parents – circa 1969 at Banff or Glacier NP. They represent what the United States of America is all about. A country of compassion. A country of opportunity. A country where an economic refugee from Germany and a political refugee from Cuba, could meet, fall in […]

I prayed for rain. I prayed for weather that reflected my mood. I wasn’t feeling sunny, mostly sunny, or partly sunny. I wasn’t feeling summery. I was feeling mostly cloudy. My mood was autumn rolling into winter. The rain began Saturday – a trip to Lanai reminded me of my Pacific NW home and I […]

A quick trip off Oahu was the perfect cure for island fever. Especially, when the island plus the weather reminded me of home – the Pacific NW. Tall Cook pines, thick clouds, and misty rain had me wondering what kind of spell I was under all day long. Perhaps I was on an island in […]

Dear Super Moon, You looked splendid tonight. Your rouge-like aura when you first emerged above the horizon made me wonder if you were a bit angry. Did Mars tell you something that pissed you off? Did he tell you that you are not made of rock, but of cheese? My sweet, you do look beautiful […]

Grounding. Solace. Alone again, after a great weeklong visit with my brother, I felt pulled to take a walk among plant life. I needed their help to remember how to feel rooted on this Earth. I needed their help to remember the diversity of life. I needed their help to remember that life can happen […]

Ah paradise, you are my Shangri La, the place where there are no worries, food is plentiful, play no work, and I will never get old. Who am I kidding? Not you I hope. The food is not free. The housing isn’t either. And there are chores to do. Thanks to my neighbor monopolizing the […]

Love with abandon. You have heard this adage before. You have wished for it. You may have decided you will never know what this means. But you are experiencing it right now, every day, every hour, every minute. You are loving Earth with abandon. You think she will support you. You think she will always […]

When I first arrived in the islands, I was told that most people work two jobs in order to afford living here. In other words, folks who live here, don’t have many days off. I have taken this to heart and am trying to make the most of my days off. After all my weekend […]

A picture is worth many stories. This photo tells the story of island driving. There are surprise lane closures – for trimming back the overgrown foliage- that then cause backups. Then there is the motorcyclist who is ready for a long road trip in the Pacific NW with leather jacket, pants, and boots, plus several […]